Gas-making machine



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet-I1.

W. H. HUTGHINS. GAS MAKING MACHINE.

No. 308,314. Patented Nov. 18, 1884.-

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(No Model.) 2 Sheet-Sheet- 2.

W. H. HUTOHINS. GAS MAKING MAGHINE. No. 308,314. Patented Nov. 18, 1884.

UNITED STAT S PATENT firmer.

WILLIAM H. HUTcHINs, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GAS-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,314, dated November 18, 1884.

Application filed May 23, 1884.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HUTOHINS, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Gas-Making Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of gas-making apparatus in which the illuminating medium is atmospheric air carbureted by mixture with the vapor of some light hydrocarbon, preferably gasoline.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure I is a vertical section of the apparatus. Fig. II is also a vertical section on a plane at right angle to Fig. I. Fig." 111 is a detail of the apparatus.

A is the retort or part of the apparatus in which the gasoline is vaporized by heat. The gasoline is fed to the retort A through apipe, a, which is in connection with a body of gasoline under pressure in a tank. (Not shown.) The said retort consists of a stationary box supported in a jacket, B.

O is the gas-holder, which consists of two parts, I) and c, the former adapted to slide within the latter, asiscommon in gasholders.

D is the main gas-pipe, leading from the retort to the holder, and it has a controllingvalve, E, which is automatically opened and closed, as hereinafter fully explained.

F is an air-check valve, which admits air to. an injector, d, by means of which it is mixed with the hydrocarbon vapor passing through it, and the combined product passes to the holder as an illuminating-gas.

G is a burner to be used in the preliminary heating of the retort, and it is fed with gasoline from the retort, the flow of which is controlled by a valve, 6, in the supply-pipe f.

H is the main burner for heating the retort, and it is fed with gas from the holder 0, when the apparatus is in operation, through a pipe, 9.

At the lower end of the main burner H is a valve, h, which is opened and closed by the falling and rising of the inner portion, 1), of the holder 0, through the medium of mechanism hereinafter described. The valve E, whi ch is of the needle pattern, is attached to one arm, t, of the angular lever I, which is pivoted to a bracket, J, projecting from any stationary part of the apparatus.

(No model.)

The other arm, j, of the angular lever Iis hinged to a plunger, k, adapted to fit closely in a cup, Z, at one end of a lever, m, which is forked at the other end and connected to a rod, a, pendent from the upper part of the section b of the gas-hold er (J. The lever m has afulcrum ato inaslot in an upright stand, K, which is variable in position within the slot. to admit of adjustment. A spring, 1), in the cup Z, confinedbetween the plunger and the solid end of the cup, is for the purpose of rapidly bending the lever at when the bending is commenced by the fulcrum-bolt at 0 coming in contact with either end of the slot q in the stand K. It

will be seen that the spring 10 is inoperative when the lever is straight, as shown in Fig. l, as its force is exerted in a straight line with the arm j of the angular lever I.

Parts of the invention not yet alluded to will be describedand their uses fully set out in the description of the operation of themvention which follows. Supposing that the retort A is empty, all the valves thus far described closed, and the gas-holder nearly exhausted of its contents, and it is desired to commence the manufacture of gas and fill the holder, a valve, 0*, in the gasoline-pipe a is slightly opened. so as to admit gasoline to the said retort. The valve 6 is then opened, which allows the fluid to escape to the slotted fitting s at the base of the burner G, where it. is ignited. The said burner is thus heated, and when the heat is sufficient to vaporize the fluid passing to the burner G the vapor ignites at its upper end and the flame thus produced heats the retort. The lever m, which is telescopic in construction, is then shortened, a set-screw, t, being first slackened and then thrown down to open the needlevalve E. Vapor from the retort now passes through the injector d, and draws air at that point through the vertical checkvalve F, which is mixed with the vapor to form illuminating-gas, which passes to the holder, the inner part, VI), of which instantly begins to rise. The lever m is now extended until its forked end is brought in contact with the rod a between the tappets u o. Gas from the holder passes through the pipe 9 around the valve h, which is opened by the depression 7 of the lever m through the medium of the rod L and a lever, M, which latter device is attached to the said valve. By the opening of thelvalveih gas is'admitted to the main burner H, and is ignited at its escape under the retort by the flame from the burner G. A portion of the gas passing to this valve h enters the taper-burnerN, and is ignited in the same manner asl the main burner II, and a small flame produced, which burns constantly, and serves to keep the retort at a vaporizing temperature when the main heatingflame is extinguished. It also serves to ignite the main burner when the flow of fluid through the burner Gis discontinued, as it is by the'closing of the valve 6 after the apparatus is in full operation. A spring, w, in the rod L makes the length of the said rod self-adjusting. As the gas-holder O is filled the inner part, 1), thereof ascends, carrying with it the rod 41, with the tappets u and e, and the lower one,

u, is so placed on the rod a that when the holder is full it strikes the forked end of the lever m and carries it up until the fulcrumbolt 0 is stopped by coming in contact with the upper end of the slot q, and the lever is thus slightly bent. As the lever is bent or thrown out of a straight line with the arm 9 the spring 1), which is confined, expands or is distended and forces out the plunger 7c, and completes the bending of the lever m, and closes the needle-valve E. The flow of gas to the holder is now stopped until by the use of the gas from the holder the part 1) thereof descends, when, by the action of the tappet v, the operation of the lever is reversed and the valve E opened. The valve h,.which was closed in the closing of the one E, is now automatically opened and gas again admitted to the burner II and ignited by the taper-flame at the upper end of the burner N The valve r in the pipe a, before referred to, is-attached to a lever, 0, having its fulcrum at w. This lever, like the one in, is telescopic, and has a forked end, which fits over the rod 12, and the rod is provided with a third tappet, y,whieh, in an extreme downward movement of the inner part of the holder 0, comes in contact with the lever and closes the valve 1'. This arrangement is to prevent the flow of gasoline to the retort and then to the holder in case of all flames under the retort being extinguished and the exhaustion of the holder. The cup I has an aperture, 2, to admit of the entrance to and expulsion of air from the cup as the plunger is moved therein, and the said aperture is made variable in size by means of a cock, (not shown,) in order that the speed of the said plunger may be regulated, and consequentlythe rapidity of opening and closing the valve E.

By referring to Fig. I, it will be seen that a portion of the jacket B is used to carry the flame from the main burner directly to the bottom of the retort, and then underneath and around the retort to an escape-pipe in the top of the jacket. By this means nearly the entire heat of the gas-flame is utilized in generating vapor.

buret-ing apparatus to control the flow of gas from the retort by means of a valve and mech: anism connecting the said valve to the movable part of the gas-holder, whereby, as the holder is filled, the flow of gas thereto is stopped, and such devices I do not claim, broadly; but

WVhat I do claim is 1. In an air-earburet-ing apparatus, the combination of a retort, a gas-pipe leading from the retort having a valve therein to control the flow of gas, an angular lever hinged to some stationary part of the a.pparatns,with one arm thereof connected to the said gasvalve, and the other hinged to astraight lever indirectly connected to the movable part of a gas-holder, the said straight lever being in two parts, the approaching ends of which are separated by, a spring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an air-carbureting apparatus, the combination of the valve E, an angular lever, I,

ratus, the plunger k, hinged to the said angular lever, the cup Z, spring 19, lever m, rod a, and the part b of the gas-holder G, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

, WILLIAM H. HUTOI-IINS.

. \Vitnesses:

Grills. B. CASSADY,

WM. T. Howann.

I am aware that it is not new in an air-carpivoted to some stationary part of the appa- 

